Exception to Every Rule
by chokolaj
Summary: Common Ground continuum fic of sorts. Short & sweet. Please R&R! :


Exception to Every Rule

_A Common Ground continuum fic, therefore, major spoilers. OK, so I wanted to throw in my two cents of a tag to this phenomenal episode. I leave the really juicy whumpage to the professionals (the other talented fic writers here) and instead explore a little tidbit about what would happen if Shep and the wraith did meet again and how Ronon would handle that little scenario._

_Takes place in the not-so-distant future. _

Darts screamed overhead, piercing the night sky as terrorized natives ran aimlessly through the sand dunes of the desert planet. Sand swirled in the air in the wake of each beam that stole another life.

Sheppard's team had spent the better half of an hour trying to herd any they could to the cloaked jumper near the activated Stargate. They had nine minutes left before the gate would disengage and then the Wraith would have a chance to counter dial.

Sheppard stood hunched against a tall rocky outcropping. He had stationed himself halfway between the cloaked jumper and a throng of Wraith scourging what was left of the burning village. Any villagers that scurried past would catch sight of him and be redirected to the safety of the jumper. Teyla and Rodney waited inside while Ronon had gone ahead to make sure no more villagers were left behind.

There weren't many refugees left now. Sheppard waited patiently for Ronon to round the final few to safety. His knee was giving him trouble. Long ago, Sheppard had taken a nasty spill while skiing in the Alps where he had been stationed briefly. Which meant that every once in a while, that knee would lock up, sending tendrils of white-hot pain up his leg. Of course this had be one of those times.

He shifted, his P90 at the ready, to peer around the edge of the rock. Ronon was far off, kicking up sand as he ran towards him. There was a small throng of people running in front of him, one woman carrying a shrieking baby in her arms. Ronon paused, took aim behind him, and fired off a shot. Several stuns zoomed past the group's heads, causing them to duck in fear and ushering them even faster for escape.

Sheppard dug his foot into the sand, ignoring the pain, and made to turn to aid in the fight. Instead, a hand wrapped around the collar of his jacket and he was wrenched back flat against the rocky surface. The back of his head connected with the rock. A rush of blood to his ears pulsated as his vision darkened briefly.

When he was able to refocus, he was staring into the striking yellow eyes of a straggly white-haired wraith.

_Shit._

Screaming and more firing from Ronon's gun could be heard in the distance. They were too far away. Teyla and Rodney would be preoccupied in the jumper…they were too far to be able to see Sheppard in his current conundrum.

His mind flashed back to his time captured by Kolya. The searing pain of that wraith feeding on him over and over was something he did not care to experience again. The thought of years being stripped off his life, his mind clouding, his joints locking up…he would not go through that again. No way in hell. But it appeared that on this day, hell had arrived.

The wraith raised its hand, ready to strike. Sheppard snapped the pin off the grenade hanging off his belt. Equally burning eyes of hatred met.

And then…recognition. Time froze. It was the wraith he had been imprisoned and tortured with. The tattoos surrounding his left eye were unmistakable.

Intense firing, Ronon's blaster, sounded much closer. Terrified screams grew louder.

The wraith's hand faltered and began to lower. Sheppard's wide eyes darted to his belt. He whisked the grenade from its loop and tossed it as far from them as possible. The resulting blast seconds later had them both cowering as sand showered down upon them. The wraith took a step back, smiling.

"We meet again."

"I seem to remember something about an even playing field next time we met."

"It's not so simple, now is it?" The wraith tilted its head, listening intently to the background noises of terror surrounding them. "Do you not agree that we are more alike than you once believed?"

"I'll agree not to blow your head off if you agree not to suck the life out of me one more time, if that's what you want." Sheppard shifted his shoulders so that his jacket once again settled correctly upon them. He lowered his P90, his intent gaze focused only on the wraith before him. He observed as the wraith followed his lead, its tense muscles easing, its arms falling to either side.

"I do not know if that would be possible. I must feed." The wraith stated, though he made no move to the contrary.

Sheppard tilted his head and smirked.

"Oh come now, we wouldn't want to set a bad example. What would your peers think? Nobody likes a picky eater."

The wraith chuckled then. Sheppard found it almost disconcerting, but he was beginning to like the wraith. It had a personality. He knew he was crossing a line here…one of his own in fact, but as with everything in life, there was an exception to every rule.

"Go. Before my friend finds you. He's not so forgiving." Sheppard urged the wraith, daring a step forward. "And let's just not think about the next time we meet. I'd hate to have to kill you."

The wraith laughed and gave him a nod of genuine thankfulness. A swoosh of the wraith's trailing coat, and it was gone into the darkness. Sheppard released a sigh of relief he found himself surprised to be holding.

Movement to his right had him swinging up the P90, ready to fire. It was Ronon. The group he had been leading was rushing ahead to where Teyla stood in the distance, waving them forward.

"You let him go. Again." Ronon glared at him.

"Nothing gets by you, does it?" Sheppard replied in full-blown sarcasm. He turned his attention to the raging fires of the village in the distance. The wraith were beginning to retreat. There wasn't much left to feed on at this point.

Sheppard took the lead back to the jumper. He heard Ronon grunt in disapproval and fall into step beside him.

"Compassion, Ronon. Ever heard of it?" He was beginning to get angry now. He didn't want to regret his decision and he didn't need one of his closest allies to help him along.

"He's only going to kill more. He's a wraith. It's what he does."

Sheppard spun around at that point, placing a firm hand on the runner's chest. Ronon, snarling, took a step back, staring briefly at that hand before Sheppard lowered it. There was a battle going on in Sheppard's eyes. The colonel absently brought that same hand up to his own chest and rubbed it, his expression turning momentarily inward.

"You don't understand." Sheppard snarled back.

Ronon reclaimed a step forward, staring hard at the pilot.

"Make me." More than a threat, it was an overshadowed attempt by the runner to find reason. He just didn't get it. He admired Sheppard. He was a survivor; a fighter…he didn't quit and he didn't leave men behind. He'd sacrifice his own life for another. But here he was, siding with the enemy. And not just any enemy: the wraith. The single reason Ronon no longer had a home to return to.

"Ronon? Sheppard?" Rodney's voice squeaked over the radios stationed in their ears. "We've gathered as many survivors as we can. The gate will commence shutdown in ninety seconds, so I suggest you get back here. Now!"

The two glared at one another a moment longer.

"Look. Put yourself in my shoes. I was dying in there. He was dying in there. We did what we had to do to survive. I wouldn't have gotten out of there without him. He gave me the _gift_ of _life_ remember? Yes, he's a wraith. Yes, he will probably kill more innocent people. But what he's doing…he's doing it to survive. Just like you and me. We will do whatever is necessary to survive. I know you understand _that_ concept, Ronon." Sheppard waited a few beats, watching as the stony expression on Ronon's face morphed into one of reluctant acceptance. "We good?"

"_Forty_ seconds." A very annoyed voice erupted in their ears.

The two stared at each for another beat. Ronon finally nodded with his usual grunt.

"Good." Sheppard snuffed. With that, he patted Ronon on the shoulder stiffly and the two headed swiftly toward the jumper. His knee ached, but at least he was able to move. Nothing a little bit of ice and rest couldn't fix.

"Thirty seconds, people. Come on!" Rodney's voice demanded over the radio.

"Amazing _he's_ survived this long." Ronon said in a rather strange tone. Strange because coming from Ronon, a joke sounded like a threat. Sheppard eyed his teammate and allowed a smile to creep onto his face.

"We'll work on the humor later, Ronon."

With that, the two entered the jumper and within seconds, they had exited through the Stargate, refugees in tow. They had survived another day. And that was enough.

THE END


End file.
